Improvement in bridles



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UNITED STATES VPATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL B. HARTMAN, OF MILLERSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BmDLEs.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 43,308, dated June 28, 1864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL B. HAE'IMAN, of Millersville, in the county of Lancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful application to ordinary bridles for effectually subjecting the most inveterate runaway horse, so that he becomes docile and safe and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the construction, application, and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l shows it applied to va common bridle 5 Fig. 2, the safety or check strap, showing a ring on each end, (detached from the bridleg) Fig. 3, the same in connection with the bridle, shown on the head of the horse. Fig. 4 Aillustrates the ring-pulley and leverpower, in the connection with the bridle-bit and lines of the strap.

The nature of my invention is .as simple as its application; and it consists of an ordinary strap of leather, or its equivalent, C, Fig. 2, having1 a ring or loop on each end. This strap is applied to the bridle with loops, or simply laid over the head of the horse, so that each end can be passed through the ring P on the bridle-bit D on each side of the mouth. The lines or reins H are then fastened to the ring or loop O of the strap, which pass equally on either side, and slide freely through the rings l? of the bit instead of being fastened, as ordinarily, to the bit itself.

rEhe operation can be easily comprehended, as the center of the strap C rests on the top of the horses head. Being a xed fulcrum, the rings .in the bit a sliding or pulley-like fulcrum, it follows that as the two ends of the strap G are drawn out equally through the rings of the bit by the means of the lines H the bit itself must necessarily raise upward in the horses mouth,with an'increased leverage, in the direction of the strap or top of the horses head or center. The power gained is such that the animal soon feels the utter inability to resist its action and must yield or endure the pain of having the muscles of t e mouth lacerated and, indeed, his head split. It is the instinctive consciousness of this power over him that awes and subjects the animal, and any animal so incorrigible as not to heed its instincts and submit with a good grace deserves to have his head split, as it might happen.

I am aware that various straps and methods have been used for a similar object, such as side straps with rings, through which the lincs or reins are passed from the rings on the bit. While they may be useful, they do not operate in the upward direction, and are only employed to carry the reins while the lines are afxed to the rings on the bit, and consequently has no resemblance either in object or construction to the independent safety-strap applied in the manner and for the purpose stated. Having a valuable animal, worthless in consequence of being unmanageable by every other method employed, after trying various devicrs and giving the subject especial attention, I hit upon the application of said strap, and after a few inelfectual attempts to run off I brought him into complete subjection, so that I can now drive him with perfect safety without the use of said strap further than by way of caution. A vicious horse must be'conquered and feel his want of power to resist his driver before his evil habits are overcome. When this discovery is once fully impressed on the animal, he becomes docile. The power over the horse obtained by the application of this strap is surprising, and the strength of a child is suticient to stop the most inveterate runaway, and hence it is deemed a highly important and valuable discovery.

I do not broadly claim the simple strap with its two rings or loops, for such are common for various purposes, but having never been applied in the manner and for the purpose set forth. The novelty and utility of such an application is what I claim as my invention; in other words- What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The application of the stra-p C to common bridles, in the manner and for the purpose specified.

S. B. HARTMAN.

Witnesses WM. B. WILEY, J Aeon STAUFEER. 

